James l



(No Model.)

J. L. CRISP,

BARREL TRUCK. v

Patented Dec. 4:

x wummag came STATES artar Oriucn.

JAMES L. CRISP, or BLooMriELn, NEW JERSEY.

BARREL-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,753, dated December4, 1883.

l v Application filed Juno 6, 1883. (No model.)

.To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that 1,3 AMES L. CRISP, a citizen of the United States,residing in Bloomfiel d, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Barrel-Trucks, fully described andrepresented in the following specification and the accompa nyingdrawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention consists in an improved truck for transporting barrels,and is constructed with a tilting platform pivoted between the sidebars, and an adjustable brace for retaining the platform in a levelposition when desired.

The invention is shown in the annexed drawings, in which Figure l is afront elevation of the device sustaining a barrel. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same closed up andlying on the floor, and Fig. 4 is an edge view of the latter.

. Referring to all the views, a a are the sides of the frame, terminatedin handles at the upper end, where they are joined by a tie-bar, I).Another tie-bar, 0, unites them at the bottom, and a foot-plate, (I, mayalso be secured to the lower end, as in other trucks, as shown in Fig.4.

The support for the barrel consists of a platform, 6, provided withbattens a uponits lower side, through the middle of which is inserted abolt, f, by which the platform is pivoted to the sides a a at anydesired distance from the floor beneath the truck. The battens arearranged in pairs at the ends of the platform, leaving a space betweenthem for leveling-rods g, which are operated by braces h, secured to thesides a a at a higher point. As shown in Fig. 2, the braces are of equallength with the distance of their fulcrum z from the floor, and the rods9 are pivoted to them at a level with the platform. The rods are held intheir places between the battens by the bolt f, and serve not only tohold the platform from tipping when extended, as in Figs. 1 and 2, butto automatically incline the platform as the truck or frame a is raisedfrom a horizontal or depressed position to the erect position shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

When .not in use, or when collapsed for application to a barrel lying onthe floor, the apparatus appears as in Figs. 3 and 4, with the bracesi'zfolded backward and upward in contact with the cross-bar b, thebraces themselves being connected together near their extremities by atie-bar, j. When thus folded, the platform is drawn into a positionparallel with the sides a. a, and as the whole apparatus lies upon thefloor a barrel is easily rolled into its proper position upon theplatform, where it is held in place by choclcblocks m As the handles ofthe frame or truck are elevated, the level of the platform can beadjusted in any desired degree by moving the braces h downward with thehand, and, when thus adjusted in a suitable position to transport, thetruck and barrel can be rolled along upon the rollers k to any desiredlocation, and there fixed in the elevated position attained by thebarrel during the'raising of the truck from the floor. The pivots oraxles of the rollers are so applied to the side bars, a a, that therollers project beneath the lower sides of the bars, but not beyond theends of the bars, by which arrangement their surfaces lose contact withthe floor when the frame or truck is elevated to its full height, asshown in Fig. 2, and the frame is prevented from slipping upon thefloor, while the barrel is left in a fixed position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus takes less room when in useunder a barrel than the barrel would do if packed up with ordinaryblocking to the same height, while it is much more safely retained inits place, is so elevated that its contents can be conveniently drawnoff by a spigot in the end, as at Z in Fig. 1, and it can also bereadily moved to any other spot without requiring the exertion necessaryto remove a barrel from a pile of blocking and replace it elsewhere.Being thus portable, the barrel can be readily moved for cleaning andsweeping under it, and the floor beneath it is better exposed, to detectleakage or to receive a pan to collect drippings. In thus moving thebarrel, the brace his preferably drawn toward the handles, and thelatter lowered until the rollers bear upon the floor, so as to transportthe truck in the usual way, the barreKmeantime being retained in anearly-level position by the action of the rods g 9 upon the platform.

Without the truck wheels or rollers 7c the device is adapted to raiseand support a barrel in any given location. WVith them it may serve asan ordinary truck in many cases when it is not in use as abarrel-support.

The chock-blocks on may be made longer 7 brace h, pivoted to the sides,as described, and provided with the leveling rods, 9 g, fitting beneaththe platform, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the sides a a and platform 6, pivoted thereto,and operated as described, of the adjustable chock-blocks m, secured tothe platform by means substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1n y hand in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES L. CRISP.

Vitnesses JOHN A. RoDRIGo, XV. F. D. CRANE.

